Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, February 2' PERSONAL MENTION HERBERT L. GOLDEN, United Artists vice-president in charge of operations and president of United Artists Television, left New York yesterday for Hollywood. • Luigi Luraschi, head of the international department at the Paramount studios, will return to New York on Sunday from Africa by way of Paris. • Edward L. Hyman, vice-president of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, and Bernard Levy, his assistant, are in Phoenix, Ariz., from New York. • Carlo Ponti, producer, will return to New York today from Hollywood, and will leave here tomorrow for Paris. • Fredric March and his wife, Florence Eldridge, will leave here tomorrow for Jamaica, B.W.I., via B.O.A.C. • George Lynch, film buyer for the Schine Circuit, will leave Gloversville, N. Y., at the weekend for Miami Beach. • Harold Hecht, producer, has returned to New York from Europe. Joseph Hazen, partner of producer Hal Wallis, returned to New York yesterday from Hollywood. WGA Pay Demand OK'd HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 26. Membership of screen branch of the Writers Guild of America, West, has unanimously approved the new contract demands to be made on the major and independent producers in negotiations expected to start next month. May 15 is the expiration date of the old contract. Ray Gallagher Announcement Ray Gallagher, advertising director of Quigley Publications], has been appointed to the office of vice-president of Quigley P u b 1 i s hing Company, Inc. Gallagher, who had been a d v e r t i sing manager of Motion Picture Herald, was named advertising director of Quigley Publications in September, 1956. He has long been widely known and highly regarded in the motion picture trade publication field. Prior to entering film journalism he was experienced in film distribution, including branch management. 'Creators' Lauded ( Continued from page 1 ) reading after concentrating on the production for so long. "People don't go to see stars, they go to see pictures. That is proven by the fact that certain pictures are successful, while others, with the same names, are failures," Wyler declared. "The men who back production, Wall Street people, bankers and studio heads, are being ridiculous when they accept the fact of a star name or a star's choice of a story instead of paying attention to the picturemakers, who have far more to do with the success or failure of a picture," he continued. The picturemakers he defined as the creative element—the writer, director, producer, or the man who combines all three talents. The reputation of these people as creative artists, he declared, should be the guide post by which a financial investment in production should be made. The salaries and shares of the profits often given today to stars on the strength of their names alone are unreasonable and harmful to the industry, he said, commenting wryly, "They'll love me in Hollywood for this." The veteran director criticized exhibitors for helping to extend the folly by insisting on buying pictures only on the basis of the cast names. "Ben Hur," now estimated at a final cost of nearly $15,000,000 would have cost half as much again if made entirely in Hollywood, Wyler said. He praised the technical excellence of the facilities in Italy generally and at the Cinecitta studio where the picture was made. His prediction for the success of the picture was, "I expect to retire on a very good annuity from it." Orders for 'Anne Frank' Seats Come from Abroad Mail orders have been received by the RKO Palace Theatre here from Tokyo, Paris, London and Madrid in response to the initial ad on George Stevens' "The Diary of Anne Frank." A special arrangement, whereby European and Oriental visitors to New York could purchase seats for the "Anne Frank" Palace engagement was set up to allow for the restrictions on currency leaving foreign countries. Since orders for the Palace are only acceptable when purchased in dollars, the Palace specified that purchasers responding to the ads in the New York Times International edition and the Paris Herald Tribune could reserve seats which would be held for them up until five days prior to the performance requested. The responses to the ad have come from persons in the Orient and in Europe who plan to visit the United States during the peak tourist months of May and June. Theatre officials noted that it was quite an ordinary practice for foreign visitors to send mail orders for legitimate theatre attractions, but that no such advance reaction had ever been accorded a motion picture opening. Pappas Is Appoint* Approve Transfer ( Continued from page 1 ) trol, the FCC laid down two conditions. First, it said, the transfer was contingent on the outcome of the pending government anti-trust suit against NTA and other television film distributors. Presumably, a court decision against the distributors could lead the FCC to reexamine the licenses of any companies involved. Secondly, it said, the approval was conditioned on whatever action the Commission itself might take on its pending network study. This could conceivably lead to tight individual ownership limits on TV stations. Commissioner Bartley dissented from the FCC approval. Equip 60 for Emergo Over 60 theatres in the New York metropolitan area are being equipped for the new "Emergo" process being used in conjunction with Allied Artists' "House on Haunted Hill." The picture will open at the neighborhood theatres, including those in the RKO, Skouras, Century, Randforce and Triangle circuits on Wednesday, March 11. Co-feature will be AA's "Legion of the Doomed." Thomas A. Pappas (right), elected member of the 20th C( Fox board of directors, has! named by president Spyros P. ras to the executive committee board. The committee, a i group comprised of members board, functions when the bi not in session. Other members committee are Skouras, V Michel, B. Earl Puckett, Lehman, Robert Clarkson and Chester. AB-PJ Buys Intern Australian TV Staff American Broadcasting-Par; Theatres has purchased a mino terest in The News Limited rj tralia, principal owner of tel station NWS in Adelaide, it vs j nounced jointly yesterday by L i H. Goldenson, AB-PT preside] K. R. Murdoch, publisher ci News Limited. The News Limited is the company for several subsidiai j the newspaper and magazine p ing and radio broadcasting ft well as television. NWS-TV, If * last October, will go on the I ^ this year. 'Greere' Next at Ha M-G-M's "Green Mansions,1! ring Audrev Hepburn and AIVrk ins, has been selected Easter film attraction at Rad: Music Hall, Russell V. D( president of the theatre, ami; yesterday. The picture will open follow ' current film, "The Journey." J Farnol to New Quarters Moving operations having been then completed, the Lynn Farnol Group on Monday will be functioning at its new offices in the Associated Press Building, 50 Rockefeller Plaza. NEW YORK THEA i — RADIO CITY MUSIC HAL Rockefeller Center • Ci 6-4600 DEBORAH KERR • YUL BRYN in ANAT0LE LITVAK'S Productio "THE JOURNEY" From M-G-M in METROCOLOR and GALA NEW STAGE SPECTACL I Years of skilled Craftsmanship in Feature Trailer Production... available for your SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FILMS Custom Produced hy the hand of experwnce/ NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE TOPS //V Tf=tA/i-£f7S MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherw'n Kane, Editor; James D. Ivers, Managing Editor; Richard Gertner, News i Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager, TELEVISION TODAY, Charles S. Aaronson, Editorial Director; Pinky Herman, Canby, Eastern Editors. Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; Telephone HOllywood 7-2145; Washington. J. A. Otten, National Press Clut ington, D. C; London Bureau, 4, Bear St. Leicester Square, W. 2. Hope Williams Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup. Ed'tor; William Pay. News Editor. Correspondents principal capitals of the world. Motion Picture Daily is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Ec Center, New York 20, Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco. New York." Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, \i dent and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. 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